U.S. Reps. Greg Landsman (D-OH) and Mike Carey (R-OH) announced they had introduced bipartisan legislation to recruit and retain firefighters across the country.
The Enhancing SAFER Grants for Local Firefighters Act would enhance existing federal grant programs used by local fire departments, the congressmen said. Currently the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants through the Federal Emergency Management Agency provides local fire departments with grants to hire firefighters. The legislation introduced by Carey and Landsman would allow fire departments to recruit and retain firefighters by using the grant money to pay recruitment and retention bonuses. The legislation would also allow fire departments’ applications to the SAFER grant program to be valid for five years, instead of just one. That change would lower the costs and administrative burdens on local fire departments, the law makers said.
“For our communities to be safe, we need experienced and well-trained firefighters on the ground and in our neighborhoods,” Landsman said. “But right now, with recruits in short supply, public safety is being jeopardized. By providing bonuses for recruitment and retention and making the process easier for our local departments to access these federal dollars, we’ll be investing in our firefighters right here in Southwest Ohio and across the country.”
The proposed legislation has been endorsed by the Cincinnati Fire Fighters Union Local 48 and the Ohio Association of Professional Firefighters.
“A fire in a home or business can mean anything from an inconvenience to the unthinkable,” Carey said. “Highly-trained ‘Front Line’ firefighters provide lifesaving service to communities across Ohio. Fire departments’ ability to rely on a strong Front Line, year after year, is invaluable. We are proud to join this bipartisan effort to ensure our communities have the resources and personnel they need to respond to fires safely and effectively.”